Following a disappointing loss to the Capitals Saturday, the Edmonton Oilers advanced to 3-6-1 on the season. With their lacklustre start, and underwhelming performances from a number of their forwards, the Oilers could find themselves looking for more scoring.
Hockey Night in Canada‘s Nick Kypreos spoke on Edmonton’s woes and discussed Ryan Strome’s performance and how that could potentially turn into yet another trade.
"“The fact remains they’re disappointed in the Ryan Strome for Jordan Eberle deal. I think they’re not married to even keeping Strome if they can move him. I think they probably would. The question is: Would he bring anything in return of significance? But no question it’s a priority for Peter Chiarelli to find some scoring on the right side.” – Nick Kypreos, Hockey Night in Canada"
The Oilers traded Eberle to the Islanders in exchange for Strome in June, days before the start of free agency. One of the biggest reasons for the trade was to not only move Eberle, who was putting up inconsistent numbers and overall not syncing into the Oilers’ top six but to relieve his $6 million cap hit. In return, they got Strome, who has an AAV of around $2.5 million a year but also struggles with production and inconsistency.
Edmonton Oilers
Strome’s Performance in Edmonton
In 69 games with New York last season, the 23-year-old had just 13 goals and 30 points, and couldn’t put up impressive numbers. Edmonton brought him in hoping he could add depth, speed and versatility to the forward lines, and that a change in scenery could ignite his offensive prowess. However, though able to play either centre or wing, he has just a goal and three points so far in 10 games with Edmonton, and he is a minus-2.
Not only has Strome been unable to produce, but he has shown inconsistency and a lack of speed or offensive acumen in his game so far. He’ll show spurts of effort or growth, but will not maintain the same level of play; not only that, he has struggled to maintain control of the puck and has been far from impressive.
Next Steps for the Oilers
While it is still early, the Oilers have found themselves lacking offence, and they have a poor record to start the year. And though they aren’t at a make-or-break point yet, these early games could be critical when it is crunch time later in the year. So ultimately, something has to give sooner rather than later.
Edmonton’s average of 2.2 goals per game to start the season is the second-worst in the league, and their 12.1 percent success on the man advantage is 29th in the NHL. They can’t appear to muster up a lot of production, and with Strome taking on a top-six role, he is somewhat responsible.
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Right now, the Oilers can be disappointed in Strome’s performance, but shouldn’t immediately look to move him. Instead, they should shuffle their lines and see where he excels, and also raise their expectations for not just him, but a number of their forwards.
In the end, if he cannot step up to the plate, then it may be time to evaluate his role in the lineup. At that point, the Oilers should look at trade options on the right side.